Verizon launching LTE in 38 markets by the end of 2010

Verizon has already said that they plan to light up 30 "NFL cities" when they flip the switch on their LTE network this year, but today the company's new president, Lowell McAdam, took the stage at CTIA to detail their 4G plans a little further. McAdam said that LTE will actually be available in 38 markets, rather than 30, when they finally make their 4G network publicly available. That new network is useless without devices to take advantage of the new, high speeds, though, right? Good news, as McAdam also said that at CES 2011 in January, Verizon will have six smartphones and tablets from "top OEMS" on display. These devices will be made available for purchase some time in the first half of 2011. For the full list of initial LTE markets, you can check out the press release below.

The fact that Verizon already has 38 cities that will be sporting their new LTE network is huge news and definitely puts them hot on the heels of Sprint's WiMAX network roll out. Big Red seems to have just about every major city you could think of listed in the initial LTE deployment, which is great for the carrier's 4G adoption possibilities. There will be plenty of eager customers ready to hop onto the LTE network and gobble up data faster than ever before. I just hope that Verizon is able to make some desirable LTE-capable smartphones available early on in 2011. Sure, 4G USB modems and data cards are cool, but I'm not sure that that's what most consumers are interested in. If Verizon is able to bring an EVO or Epic-caliber handset out quickly, I have a feeling that they would be set.

VERIZON LAUNCHES 4G LTE IN 38 MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS BY THE END OF THE YEAR

4G LTE Network Also in Airports in Key Cities Outside of Initial Launch Area

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and SAN FRANCISCO – Verizon underscored its rapid deployment of the world’s first large-scale 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network today from the CTIA Enterprise & Applications™ 2010 conference. Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon, detailed the company’s major network launch in 38 major metropolitan areas, covering more than 110 million Americans, by the end of the year. In addition, the company is launching 4G LTE in more than 60 commercial airports coast to coast – both the airports within the launch areas plus airports in other key cities.

McAdam said, “We are driven by the vision to provide ubiquitous wireless broadband connectivity and mobility to rural and urban Americans alike. With our initial 4G LTE launch, we will immediately reach more than one-third of all Americans where they live, right from the start. And, we will quickly introduce 4G LTE throughout the Verizon coverage area.”

McAdam highlighted the metropolitan areas for the initial launch, which include:· Large sections of the Northeast Corridor, including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. as well as Rochester, New York

· Throughout Miami and south Florida, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and New Orleans as well as Charlotte, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee

· Chicagoland, St. Louis, the Twin Cities, Pittsburgh and major cities in Ohio

· Major population centers in California as well as Seattle, Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas

(A list of all metropolitan areas and airports is located at the end of the news release.)

Verizon Wireless is building its 4G LTE network with the same commitment to performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized. Verizon Wireless’ laser focus on reliability is based on rigid engineering standards and a disciplined deployment approach year after year.

Enterprise users, businesses and individuals can immediately benefit from Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network this year. While Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network promises much more than speed, the first application gives employees the ability to work at significantly faster speeds and improved latency, increasing productivity and the opportunity to get work done where their business takes them.

McAdam continued, “Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network will also be available in the commercial airports in the 38 metropolitan areas, plus we’re launching airports in other key cities coast to coast, giving road warriors added coverage when they travel. Every time we’ve built a next generation network, our customers have seen real benefits to their bottom lines. Taking advantage of the first large-scale LTE network on the globe gives our customers a competitive advantage.”

Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE rollout positions the company to be the global leader in 4G LTE deployment. Verizon Wireless expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments. These speeds are significantly faster than Verizon Wireless and other wireless providers’ current or promised 3G network speeds.

By leveraging its 700 MHz spectrum for LTE deployment in the United States, Verizon Wireless is capable of quickly deploying a high-quality wireless broadband network with excellent coverage. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States as part of its extensive, ongoing investment in its voice and data network infrastructure.

In addition to the 38 major metropolitan areas, Verizon Wireless is launching its 4G LTE network in West Lafayette, Ind., home of Purdue University. The public university is using several innovative software applications on Verizon Wireless’ 3G network that improve student engagement and success, and Verizon Wireless is working with Purdue to explore the next phase of how 4G LTE technology can improve e-learning across the nation.

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